The Royal House of Niroli Collection. Кейт Хьюит
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him.’
‘That’s sad,’ he said. ‘What about palliative care? Who is overseeing that?’
She let out a defeated sigh. ‘He won’t accept any treatment.’
‘So you are managing him on your own?’
‘Not very well, I’m afraid,’ she confessed, her eyes drifting to the view once more. ‘I have tried my best to get him to be reassessed but he won’t budge. He’s not in much pain as yet but I dread what is ahead.’
‘It’s a brute of a disease,’ he said with feeling. ‘I’ll have a chat with him and see if I can change his mind. Besides, we can always organise some self-administered morphine for him to use at home when things start to go downhill.’
‘You’re a heart specialist,’ she said, looking at him again. ‘This is not your responsibility.’
‘Perhaps not, but how else am I going to get you to agree to come out with me?’ he asked with a twinkling smile.
Amelia felt the familiar kick of panic deep in her stomach. She had travelled this road before and it had almost ruined her life. Alex Hunter was here for work and pleasure; there was no promise of permanency. How could there be? She would be a fool to even dare to dream otherwise.
‘You’re only here for a month,’ she reminded him, a tight set to her mouth.
‘So?’
‘So…that’s not long enough to get to know someone properly.’
‘Listen, Amelia, I’m an open book. What you see is what you get. I’m not hiding any dark secrets. I’m not married and nor am I currently involved with anyone and haven’t been for quite some time.’
‘So that’s supposed to reassure me?’ she asked with a deepening frown.
He smiled at her. ‘Of course.’
Amelia felt herself caving in in spite of her every attempt to counteract it. He was so utterly charming and irresistible. What would it hurt to go on one little date with him? she wondered. The fact that he was only here for a short time made it even less likely for her to be in any danger of losing her head or heart, she reasoned. Besides, this was a chance for her to prove to herself once and for all she had moved on after her experience with Benito. Only a naïve fool would fall into the same trap twice and she was no fool, or at least not any more.
Besides, Lucia and her brother were right—she did need to have a bit of a life now and again. All work and no play was a sure-fire recipe for burn-out and then who would look after her father and brothers?
‘I don’t know.’ she began hesitantly, not wanting him to see how tempted she really was.
‘Come on, give me a chance. I promise not to step over any boundaries. No sex, well…not on the first date anyway, but after that who knows?’ He gave her another teasing grin.
She gave him a school-mistress look. ‘You really are incorrigible.’
‘I know, but you’re so cute I can’t resist trying to win your heart.’
‘It would take a whole lot more than a sexy smile and a quick wit to win my heart,’ she said, trying to purse her lips but failing hopelessly.
‘You think I’ve got a sexy smile?’ His eyes glinted as they held hers. ‘I have to confess I’ve had extensive orthodontic work done.’ He tapped his two front teeth. ‘These are totally fake—porcelain veneers. I had my teeth knocked out during a football match.’
There was nothing she could do to stop her smile. ‘You really are unbelievable.’
He tapped her on the end of her nose. ‘So are you, elf.’ He got up and pulled her to her feet beside him. ‘Now, come on—let’s get this poor bike in the back of my car and get you home and hosed, and ready for our first date.’
Amelia sat in the front seat of his car as he loaded her bike in the back and mentally prepared herself for the first time he saw the poverty of her home. She could already feel herself cringing in shame. It had been years since she had brought anyone to the cottage. She always arranged to meet the few friends she had kept over the years at their homes, or at a quiet café well away from the main centres of the island.
‘It’s this turn here on the left,’ she directed him after they had gone a few kilometres, a fluttering sense of nerves assailing her the closer they got. ‘I’m sorry the road is not in better condition. Your car will be filthy.’
‘No problem.’ He sent her another one of his high-beam smiles.
She took an unsteady breath and looked forwards once more. ‘It’s very good of you to come up here like this…but I must warn you it’s probably nothing like you’re used to.’
Alex concentrated on negotiating the rough driveway that led to a dilapidated cottage in the shelter of the trees. He could sense her embarrassment and wondered how he could put her at ease. He’d seen his share of poverty-stricken homes during his various field trips to less developed countries, and knew how important it was to not jeopardise someone’s sense of dignity just because they didn’t live in a house that met the western standards he’d grown up with and more or less taken for granted.
‘It must be really peaceful living way up here,’ he commented as he parked the car underneath one of the trees.
‘Yes…it is.’
He came around and opened her door for her, frowning when he saw her scraped knees as she got out of the car. ‘You’ve hurt yourself. Why didn’t you tell me? I could have done something earlier.’
‘It’s nothing…just a scratch.’ She brushed her uniform back down over her legs.
‘I’ve got my doctor’s bag in the back. I’ll dress those grazes for you now.’
‘No, please…it’s fine…really. I have my own first-aid kit things inside.’
He didn’t press the issue; instead he followed as she led the way to the cottage, but he noticed how her brow was furrowed and her shoulders slightly hunched as if she carried a too-heavy weight on her back.
Amelia opened the front door but there was no sign of her father when she entered the cottage. ‘Papà?’ she called out.
Alex came up behind her. ‘Has he gone out?’
She frowned as she led the way inside. ‘He hardly ever goes out.’
She looked around the kitchen where the dishes her father had used that morning were still on the table. Her gaze went to a note propped up against a mug. It was in her father’s roughly scrawled handwriting informing her he’d gone somewhere with Silvio and would be back late and not to worry.
‘What does it say?’ Alex asked.
She folded the note and pocketed it, a shadow of unease in her hazel eyes as they met his. ‘My younger brother has taken him somewhere.’
‘Is that unusual?’
‘No…not really, except Silvio hasn’t been home or even in contact for two weeks.’ A small frown tugged at her smooth forehead.
‘Maybe he’s taken your father out for a meal or something.’
She nibbled at her bottom lip for a moment. ‘Maybe.’
‘Well, look on the bright side,’ he said. ‘You don’t have to cook dinner for him after all.’
‘But you came up to see him and now he’s not here.’
‘I can come some other time,’ he said. ‘It’s no trouble.’
‘Maybe something’s happened.’ Her frown deepened. ‘What if he’s taken a bad turn?’
‘Then your brother will take him to the hospital. Why not call the switchboard